On February 19, 1473, Nicolaus Copernicus is born in Torun, a city in north-central Poland on the Vistula River. The father of modern astronomy, he was the first modern European scientist to propose that Earth and other planets revolve around the sun.

The monument to Nicolaus Copernicus in Warsaw.

Deng Xiaoping of China died on t his day in 1997 at the age of 92. He was the last of China’s major revolutionaries.

William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is 78 years old today.

Singer Smokey Robinson was with The Miracles who helped define the Motown sound. He also played with The Five Chimes until 1972 and pursued a solo career. He released such popular songs as "A Quiet Storm," "Tears of a Clown," "You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me," and "I Second That Emotion."

Physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton became one of the most influential scientists of all time, formulating the three basic laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation. He built the first practical reflecting telescope. Newton’s mother wanted him to be a farmer.